Fluid-pressure-reducing valve.



H. M. P. MURPHY.

FLUID PRESSURE REDUGING VALVE.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR.21,1908.

1 ,071,7'7'7. Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

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PLUXD PRESSURE RBDUGING VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.21, 1908.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD M. I. MURPHY, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENILSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE COMPANY, 0F

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPRATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

FLUID-PRES8UBE-REDUCING VALVE.

Speeleation o! Letters Patent.

` Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HOWARDA M. P. MUR- PHY, a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State o f Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Pressure-Reducing Valves; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in Huid pressure reducing valves such as are adaptable for use with any apparatus wherein it is desirable to maintain a working ressure which shall be less than that o the main source of supply.

The object of the 'invention is to provide a valve mechanism which will operate to reduce the pressure of a fluid from a high to a lower degree and insure the maintenance of the reduced pressure constant.

A further object, is to provide a reducing valve mechanism of high ca acity and yet which at the same time shall be very sensitive.

A further object is to so construct the device that it can be readily and accuratel adjusted to cause the maintenance of di erent degrees of reduced ressure.

A further object is to provide a reducing valve which shall be simple in construction, and which shall be accurate and effectual in the performance of all the functions which v may be required of it.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompan ing drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional view o a reducing valve mechanism embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 a plan view showing the pressure adjusting devices; and Fig. 3 a sectional view of a valve mechanism embodying certain modifications.

While my improvements are ada table for use in any connection where a re uction of Huid pressure is desirable, still for the sake of convenience and simplicity, I will de-4 scribe the same as applied in an air brake system.

1 represents a casing having a chamber 2 provided with an inlet port 3, with which a pipe from the main air reservoir may be connected. The casing is also `made with a chamber 4 having a port 5 with which a pipe, leading to a reservoir for reduced pressure, may be connected. A passage 7 con Jlects the chambers 2 and 4 and this passage is closed by a valve 8. A tubular cap 9 is secured to the top of the casing and de ends some distance into the chamber 2, said cap lserving to receive and guide the valve 8, which latter is also made tubular or hollow throughout a portion of its length. Aspring 10 is located within the hollow valve 8 and tubular cap 9 and serves to press the former upon its Seat. The lower end of the valve is made with a passage 11 communicating at' 'its lower end with the passa e 7, and ducts 12in the lower portion of t e valve 8 also communicate with said passages 7 and 11. A small duct 13a-may be provided to connect the interior of the valve with the chamber 2,

lsaid ducts and passages permitting a flow of fluid (as hereinafter explained) from the high pressure side of valve 8 to the low pressure chamber 4 to balance the valve 8 under certain conditions during the operation of the mechanism.

A stem 14 passes freel through the pas sage l1 and 1s 'provide atits upper end with a valve 15 to close said passage. The valve 15 is pressed upon its seat by meansl of a light spring 16 located within the spring 10 and maintained in proper position by means of a pin 17 depending from the closed upper end of the cap 9.

The stem A14 of valve 15 projects iupwardly from a rod 18, the latter passing downwardly through the bottom of he low pressure chamber 4 and provided at'its lower end with a piston 19 located within a controlling chamber 20. The bottom of which may be conveniently formed by a cap or plug`21 screwed into the bottomof the casing. The piston 19 may be provided with a small duct 22 connecting the portion of the chamber above the iston with the por'- tion below the same, or a purpose which will be hereinafter made apparent.

The casing 1 is made at its lower end with a laterally projecting portion 23, having therein a chamber 24, closed at its lower end by means of a cap or plug 25.

'A barrel or cylinder 26 is screwed into the laterally projecting portion 23 of the casing, and below this barrel orcylinder, a thin metal diaphragm 27 is located and forms the'top of a chamber 28.' The diaphragm 27 (which is intended to have very'y and provided at its lower end with a valve 31 for closing said passage. A spring 32 presses this valve toward its seat. The stem is grooved to form ports 33 with which one end of a duct 34 communicates, and the other end of this duct communicates with the chamber 20 below the piston 19 therein. A duct 35 connects the upper portion of the chamber 2O with the chamber 28 under the diaphragm 27. The high pressure chamber 2 is connected by means of a duct 36 with the chamber 24 in the lateral portion of the casing, while the lo-w pressure chamber 4 is connected with' the chamber 2O by means of a short duct- 37.

A head 38 is movable in the lower end of the barrel 26 and in the ring 29 and is forced down upon the diaphragm 27 by means of a spring 39, encircling a rod 40 projecting upwardly from the head 38. The spring 39 bears at its lower end upon the head 38 and at its upper end is seated in an adjustable inverted cup 41, screwed into the upper end of the barrel 26. The inverted cup 41 :is provided 'with a tubular shank 42 in which the upper end of the rod 40 is guided and the upper end of said shank is provided with a hand wheel 43 by means of which the cup can be turned tor the purpose ci? adjust-ing the tension of the spring 39, and consequently the amount ot fluid pressure within the chamber 28 te raise the diaphragm against the resistance ot said spring. ln order to be enabled te accurately adjust 'the tension o the spring 39 within predetermined limits, the devices now to be described may be employed: The hand wheel 43 is provided with two curved slots 44 in which tappets 45-46 are adjustably secured, and in order te prevent said tappets from turning, they are provided with biturcated arms 47 which embrace the shank 42. ri`he barrel 26 is provided at its upper end with a lug or stop yvoir be now admit-ted to t-he high pressure chamber 2, the fluid under high pressure -will flow through the duct 36 and enter the chamber 24, from which it will pass through the ducts 33 and 34 to the chamber 20 below the piston 19. The pressure thus admitted under the piston 19 will move the latter ,upwardly and cause the valve 15 to rise slightly from its seat. Fluid under pressure is thereupon vented from the spring chamber of the valve 15- through the ducts 13, 11, and 12 to the low pressure chamber 4. By reason of the restricted size of the port 13 leading to the spring chamber and forming communication from the high pressure chamber 2, it will be evident that the flow of air past the open valve 15 will exceed the flow of air through the re stricted port 13 and consequently the pressure acting to hold the valve 3 on its seat is reduced so that the opposing pressures ou the valve are nearly balanced, the area of the piston portion of the valve 8 which eX- tends into the spring chamber being somewhat larger than the area of the port opening controlled by the valve. The fiuid pressures on opposite sides of thevalve 8 being nearly balanced, the parts are in condition to be operated by a slight differential of pressures on the o-perating abutment 19. As the pressure within the chamber 20 under the piston 19 continues to increase, the latter will continue to rise,-finally causing the upper end or the rod 13 to engage the lower end oi the valve 8 and raise the latter to admit fluid from the high pressure chamber 2, through the passage 7 to the low pressure or outlet chamber 4. Fluid will also pass from the low pressure chamber, throughthe duct 37 to the chamber 20 over the piston 19 and tend (under` certain conditions)` to balance said piston against the pressure under' it, such balancing being assisted by the passage of fluid through the small duct`22 in said piston. Fromthe upper portion of chamber 20, fluid will pass through the duct 35 tc the chamber 28 under the diaphragm127. ldlhen the pressure in the chamber 28 (and hence in the low or outlet pressure chamber 4) approaches the pressure for which the tension ot the spring 39 has been adjusted, the diaphragm 27 will be raised gradually against the resistance of said spring, and the valve 31 will become closed by this' action. Pressure above and below the piston 19 will become equalized, and the valves 8 and 15 will be closed by the action of the springs 10 and 16.

From the above description, it will be seen that as soon as the low or outlet pressure falls below the predetermined degree as determined by the spring 39, the valves will be operated in the manner before explained, and the ressure will be augmented by fluid from t e high pressure chamber and the main reservoir, and hence the outlet pressure will be maintained constant.

It is apparent that the degree of reduced pressure to be maintained can be accurately controlled by adjusting the tension of the spring 39 in themanner before explained.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3, the constant maintenance of a predetermined degree of reduced pressure, is controlled by the combined action `of {iuid pressure from the main or high pressure supply, and an adjustable spring, instead of by means of a spring such as the spring 39. In the modified construction, the barrel 26 is displaced by a chamber 48 which" communicates, by a duct 49 with the high pressure chamber 2, and below said chamber 48, the diphragm 27 is located and is acted upon by pressure passing through a assage 50 in the bottom of chamber 48. A ead 51 is located in the chamber 28 immediately under the diaphragm 27 and provided with a depending stem 51, the lower end of which is engaged by the upper end of the stem of valve 31. A spring 52 presses the valve 31 toward its seat and the head 51 against the under face of the diaphragm. The spring 52 is located in chamber 24 with which the duct 36 communicates, and the lower end of said spring is supported by a nut 53, by means of which latter,` the tension of the spring can be adjusted.

Fluid from the high ressure chamber 2 will be admitted to t e lower pressure chamber 4 while the valve 31 is kept o en by the action of the high pressure tlui in chamber 48 until the pressure in the chamber 28 (which receives pressure from the low pressure chamber 4) approaches the predetermined pressure for the service reservoir, when the dia hragm 27 will be raised by the combine force of spring 52 and the low pressure fluid in chamber 28 and the valve 31 will thus be closed.

Fluctuations of pressure or outlet in the low pressure chamber 20, will cause the op- 4 eration of the mechanism as before explained.

Having fully descrlbed my invention restricted port communicating with the 1nlet or high pressure, a movable abutment for operating said valve, a regulating valve mechanism overned by the outlet pressure for controlling the operation of said abutment, and an auxiliary valve carried by said abutment and operated upon t-he prelimi.

nary movement thereof fc: venting fluid from said chamber.

i 2. A luid pressure regulator comprising a main valve subject on one side to the outlet or low pressure and on the opposite side to the pressure of a chamber having a restrlcted communication with the inlet or high pressure, a stem carried by said valve having a piston fit in said chamber, a piston for operating said valve, a regulatlng valve mechanism governed by the outlet pressure for controlling the operation of said abutment, and an auxiliary valve mounted "in said main valve and operated by said piston upon the initial movement thereof for venting iuid from said chamber to the low pressure side of the main valve.

3. In a reducing valve, the combination with a casing having a high ressure chamber and a low pressure cham er, of a main valve to control communication between said chambers, said main valve having ducts connecting said chambers, a spring-pressed relief valve for closing said ducts, a stem projecting from said relief valve and depending below the main valve, a piston, a rod projecting from said piston and terminating under the stem of the relief valve, and means for operating said piston to cause its rod to first raise the relief valve and subsaquently raise the main valve.

4. In a reducing valve, the combination with a casing having a high pressure chamber, a low pressure chamber and a controlling chamber communicatin with the low pressure chamber, and a vafe for controlling communication between the high and low pressure chambers, of a piston in the controlling chamber, a rod projecting from www??? ment and pmvidr with elongated sotsapspeciitiom in dah@ presence of W@ subpets provided with Shanks adjustabegn smid scrbisug witnesses. slots, and a fixed stop t0 be engage y said y tappets, whereby the tensiol of sai-d vspring HWARD P MURPHY 5 can be adjusted 'Within predetrmined im Witnesses:

its. A. N. Ml'mmmm In' testimony Whemeof, E have .signed this R. S. FERGUSON 

